oral cancer foundation

The Oral Cancer Foundation has a new relationship with eight-time GRAMMY® winner, Emmy winner, humanitarian, singer, songwriter and producer, Ziggy Marley. Mr. Marley has generously offered to allow CharityBuzz to auction off three (3) VIP events for two (2) on his REBELLION RISES TOUR. The winner(s) will enjoy this highly anticipated tour that only a select few get to experience up close and personal, meeting Mr. Marley. After the concert at a tour city of the winners choosing, a photo opportunity will be provided during their meet & greet with Ziggy Marley himself. The tour starts in America and travels to several European cities. Raising funds for the oral cancer issue via OCF, this auction will help support awareness campaigns, research, early discovery initiatives, and outreach that will help save lives. The auction begins today; May 20, 2018. Available tour dates are here: https://bit.ly/2dZPCcR (Dates may be subject to change).

Grammy winning artist Ziggy Marley partners with the Oral Cancer Foundation to raise awareness of the disease, and funds for its many missions to reduce impact of oral cancers. (PRNewsfoto/Oral Cancer Foundation)

Reggae icon Ziggy Marley will release his seventh full-length solo studio album, Rebellion Rises, on May 18th through Tuff Gong Worldwide. Fully written, recorded and produced by Marley, this passionate and indelible new collection of music encourages people to stand together in activism through love.

Ziggy Marley has released many albums to much critical acclaim. His early immersion in music came at age ten when he sat in on recording sessions with his father, Bob Marley. As front man to Ziggy Marley & The Melody Makers, the group has released ten live and studio albums, three of which became GRAMMY-winners with such chart-topping hits as “Look Who’s Dancing,” “Tomorrow People,” and “Tumbling Down.” Then, in an effort to pursue his own creative endeavors, 2003 saw the launch of Ziggy’s solo career with the release of Dragonfly (RCA Records). His second solo effort, Love Is My Religion (Tuff Gong Worldwide), won a GRAMMY in 2006 for Best Reggae Album, as did the subsequent release of Family Time (Tuff Gong Worldwide) in 2009 for Best Children’s Album. 2011’s Wild and Free was also nominated for Best Reggae Album, the same year in which Ziggy debuted his first-ever graphic novel, Marijuanaman. In addition to his music, Marley established the U.R.G.E. (Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment) organization to help children in poverty.

About the Oral Cancer Foundation
While the financial support for the many missions OCF engages in is important, our view of this amazing opportunity is focused elsewhere. The foundation represents a deadly disease that in the US too many people have not even heard of until it directly impacts their lives. That lack of visibility, that lack of the disease having a significant voice, has far reaching implications. The most obvious is that without national awareness, the knowledge of avoidable risk factors that might bring you to it does not exist. Further, absent a well-established national screening program, the early discovery of pre-cancers, and early stage disease does not currently take place often. This means poorer long-term outcomes, a much higher morbidity from the treatments patients must undergo to cope with an advanced stage disease, and a high 5-year death rate.

While OCF may be the largest of the oral cancer charities and within that group have the greatest reach, we still are small when compared to charities that represent larger incidence cancers whose names are household words. These large charities impact hundreds of thousands each year in the US alone, and take in tens, if not hundreds of millions of dollars a year in donations to advance their agendas and serve the populations they represent. We do not have those assets to work with, but we can develop strategic partners that help us in other ways. OCF’s thoughts are on what this relationship means to that paradigm. We may be at a tipping point in the disease if we can raise the awareness of it. When people with this much visibility become associated with a problem, it cascades into CHANGE.

We hope all of you who read this, especially those who have had this disease touch their lives, will Share on FaceBook, Tweet, and post on Instagram about this relationship, the auctions, and spread the word; so that this opportunity of increased visibility for oral cancer, and a change from late to early discovery and diagnosis can be realized.

World Cancer Day (February 4) is a perfect time for dental hygienists across Canada to remind the public of the importance of regular oral cancer screenings, not only during dental appointments, but also now at home.

The Canadian Cancer Society projected in 2017 that 4,700 Canadians would be diagnosed with oral cavity cancer, and that 1,250 Canadians would die. In hopes of improving the long-term outcomes for people diagnosed with oral cancer, the Canadian Dental Hygienists Association (CDHA) has partnered with the Oral Cancer Foundation and the American Dental Hygienists Association on a “Check Your Mouth™” initiative to help individuals identify the early signs and symptoms of oral cavity cancers. “Dental hygienists recognize that early detection has great potential to reduce the oral cancer burden in Canada,” states Sophia Baltzis, CDHA president. “Between dental visits, which usually include an oral cancer screening, our clients can and should examine their mouths for suspicious tissue changes.”

The Check Your Mouth™ campaign features an interactive website (www.checkyourmouth.org) that offers easy-to-use tools and tips for a quick visual and tactile examination of the oral cavity. Individuals can learn to self-discover the early symptoms of disease and then seek further evaluation from a dental professional if necessary. “Dental hygienists are your partners in prevention,” adds Baltzis. “We encourage all Canadians to maintain a healthy lifestyle, practice good oral hygiene habits, and spot the early signs of oral cancer. The Check Your Mouth™ website is a valuable resource that everyone should explore.” By raising public awareness of oral cancer and its early signs and symptoms, dental hygienists are helping to meet the global challenge of saving lives. Together, we can make a difference!

Serving the profession since 1963, CDHA is the collective national voice of more than 28,495 registered dental hygienists working in Canada, directly representing 19,000 individual members including dental hygienists and students. Dental hygiene is the 6th largest registered health profession in Canada with professionals working in a variety of settings, including independent dental hygiene practice, with people of all ages, addressing issues related to oral health. For more information on oral health,

RENO, Nev. (News 4 & Fox 11) — As a country phenomenon, Garth Brooks once said, “It’s bulls and blood, it’s dust and mud, it’s the roar of a Sunday crowd. It’s the white in his knuckles, the gold in the buckle, he’ll win the next go ’round. It’s boots and chaps, it’s cowboy hats, it’s spurs and latigo, it’s the ropes and the reins, and the joy and the pain and they call the thing rodeo.”

2017 Reno Rodeo competitor Cody Z Kiser has been riding and roping for as long as he can remember.

Born and raised to Carrie and P.D. Kiser in Carson City, Nevada, Cody started riding bulls as a Dayton High School student.

A horrific injury would set Kiser back, but by no means did it keep him from chasing his dreams.

Kiser says a bull stepped on his face and crushed all the bones in the left side of his face. After recovering, Kiser transitioned from bull riding to bareback bucking horses and hasn’t looked back since.

If traveling to rodeos all the time wasn’t enough to keep someone completely preoccupied, Cody competed while pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno.

After testing the waters in the engineering field for awhile, Kiser decided it was time to chase his lifelong dream and give rodeo his full attention.

During his endeavors as a cowboy, Cody was fortunate enough to establish a partnership with the Oral Cancer Foundation.

Everyone knows it is terrible for you, yet they still do it.

He says that being tobacco-free is something he advocates for because he understands the huge health risks that come along with it.

I have seen the impact it can have on a human’s health and it is something that I want no part of, and if I can help others from starting it, then I am happy.

Kiser says he is always willing to answer questions pre-existing tobacco users may have, but by no means is he trying to tell people how to live their life.

A big goal of his: to show people that you don’t have to smoke or chew to be a real cowboy or to be successful in the sport you love. Primarily focusing on kids, Kiser hopes to spread the movement to younger generations who haven’t picked up the bad habit yet.

The sport is hard enough on your body, no sense in making in harder on yourself.

Kiser says he strays away from just throwing facts and statistics at people, but rather making a positive, memorable impact and associating with people without the use of tobacco.

After partnering with the OCF three years ago, the cowboy says that he has had nothing but positive feedback and calls himself the “luckiest guy in the world.”

If you are interested in watching Cody Kiser compete in the 2017 Reno Rodeo, you can catch him on Father’s Day, Sunday, June 18 (making his dad, a former bucking horse rider proud) or Monday, June 19.

Company’s Donation to Support 77 Screening Events in 2016 and 2017 by the Oral Cancer Foundation

Press Release – MELVILLE, N.Y., July 25, 2016 – Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) announced today that it is donating more than $10,000 in medical supplies to the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF) in support of 77 free oral cancer screening events being held throughout the United States in 2016 and 2017. Each OCF-hosted event aims to boost awareness of the disease and increase early detection.

The Company’s donation of gauze, tongue depressors, and disposable dental mirrors, facemasks, and gloves is an initiative of Henry Schein Cares, the Company’s global corporate social responsibility program, and continues the Company’s support of OCF’s screening events. OCF hosts the events in a range of locations, including pharmacy parking lots, health fairs, farmer’s markets, colleges, and OCF Walk/Run for Awareness events.

“The health of our mouths greatly impacts our ability to eat and drink, communicate thoughts and ideas, and express feelings for loved ones,” said Brian Hill, Founder of the Oral Cancer Foundation. “When cancer affects our mouths, it does more than take away these everyday functions, it too often takes our lives. Our screening events are designed to identify signs of oral cancer before it ever gets that far, and we thank Henry Schein for this generous donation and its continued support of oral cancer awareness and early detection efforts.”

The donation comes at a time when nearly 500,000 people worldwide are diagnosed annually with oral and oropharyngeal cancer, according to data from the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s Globocan 2000 database and the World Health Organization’s Mortality Database. Of that number, between one-third and one-half lose their lives annually while many more suffer from the complications of treatment. Despite the easy accessibility to these body sites by health care providers and the overall impact early detection can have on a person’s overall health, more than two-thirds of these patients are diagnosed in advanced stages where the cancer has already spread to regional lymph nodes or beyond.

“Regular oral cancer screening events raise awareness and enhance early detection and prevention efforts, which are critical to reducing the disease’s incidence and impact,” said Steven W. Kess, Vice President of Global Professional Relations at Henry Schein. “Oral cancer is a stark reminder of the vital importance of good oral health in relation to a person’s overall health, and that’s why Henry Schein is pleased to support the Oral Cancer Foundation.”

Henry Schein’s donation continues the Company’s long-standing commitment to exploring ways of reducing the disease’s global impact. Earlier this year, the Henry Schein Cares Foundation, Inc.—an independent 501(c)(3) organization founded by the Company to foster, support, and promote dental, medical, and animal health by helping to increase access to care in communities around the world—funded the Global Oral Cancer Forum. The Forum gathered many of the world’s foremost experts on oral cancer, as well as clinicians, scientists, epidemiologists, activists, public health experts, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, and other stakeholders who are working to understand how to reduce the global oral cancer burden.

About Henry Schein Cares

Henry Schein Cares stands on four pillars: engaging Team Schein Members to reach their potential, ensuring accountability by extending ethical business practices to all levels within Henry Schein, promoting environmental sustainability, and expanding access to health care for underserved and at-risk communities around the world. Health care activities supported by Henry Schein Cares focus on three main areas: advancing wellness, building capacity in the delivery of health care services, and assisting in emergency preparedness and relief.

Firmly rooted in a deep commitment to social responsibility and the concept of enlightened self-interest championed by Benjamin Franklin, the philosophy behind Henry Schein Cares is a vision of “doing well by doing good.” Through the work of Henry Schein Cares to enhance access to care for those in need, the Company believes that it is furthering its long-term success. “Helping Health Happen Blog” is a platform for health care professionals to share their volunteer experiences delivering assistance to those in need globally. To read more about how Henry Schein Cares is making a difference, please visit our blog: www.helpinghealthhappen.org.

About Henry Schein, Inc.

Henry Schein, Inc. (Nasdaq: HSIC) is the world’s largest provider of health care products and services to office-based dental, animal health and medical practitioners. The Company also serves dental laboratories, government and institutional health care clinics, and other alternate care sites. A Fortune 500® Company and a member of the S&P 500® and the Nasdaq 100® indexes, Henry Schein employs nearly 19,000 Team Schein Members and serves more than one million customers.

The Company offers a comprehensive selection of products and services, including value-added solutions for operating efficient practices and delivering high-quality care. Henry Schein operates through a centralized and automated distribution network, with a selection of more than 110,000 branded products and Henry Schein private-brand products in stock, as well as more than 150,000 additional products available as special-order items. The Company also offers its customers exclusive, innovative technology solutions, including practice management software and e-commerce solutions, as well as a broad range of financial services.

Headquartered in Melville, N.Y., Henry Schein has operations or affiliates in 33 countries. The Company’s sales reached a record $10.6 billion in 2015, and have grown at a compound annual rate of approximately 15 percent since Henry Schein became a public company in 1995. For more information, visit Henry Schein at www.henryschein.com, Facebook.com/HenrySchein and @HenrySchein on Twitter.

*This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

Cody Kiser always had a fascination with the rodeo. The 25-year-old out of Carson City, Nevada competed in the high school rodeo as a bull rider, but Kiser used that term loosely.

“I was more of a bull getter-oner than a bull rider,” Kiser joked. “I had a bad tendency of holding onto the rope until the very last second.”

This time, that bad habit would cause significant injuries during a high school rodeo competition when Kiser was 14.

“I hit the ground and I don’t know if I was on my chest or my back, but one foot (of the bull) landed on my face and the other on my chest or back,” Kiser said.

The impact of the bull crushed Kiser’s left side of his face that broke his hinge bone and jaw bone and shattered his cheek bone. Kiser had to undergo plastic surgery to fix the injuries which required two plates and eight screws to be inserted to do so. Kiser spent a year recovering from the accident before returning to riding – this time horses.

“Riding bucking horses was something I always wanted to do,” Kiser said. “My dad (P.D. Kiser), that’s actually what he did. I thought I’d give that a go and turns out I was a little better at it and now I’m here today.”

When Kiser returned to riding, the nerves were there, but in a good way.

“I think I was more excited than anything,” Kiser said. “Sure, you get nervous, but you can’t think about that. You can’t think about getting hurt. You got to think about winning and doing your best. Think about staying positive.”

Having competed in the PRCA for the past five years, this will mark only the second time Kiser has participated in the California Rodeo Salinas.

“The first time I was here was probably three years ago or so. I think I was on my permit still, so I was still new to the PRCA rodeo and I was just awestruck by the rodeo and the guys I was riding with.

“It was just a mind-blowing experience. Now I’m here this year, I’m excited. I got a good horse that I’m excited to get on and I’m just ready to go.”

Kiser said the stuff he’s learned in his five years in the PRCA has helped him improve as a bareback bronc rider tremendously.

“I’m able to break down my rides and think through what I did wrong and what I can do right next time. What I did really good and focus on that and move on for the next one and just have fun most of all and see all of these amazing places.”

When preparing for a run at an event, Kiser said there’s little time for thinking once the gate opens.

“It’s more of a reaction,” Kiser said. “I trained for this and mentally try to get myself prepared before I get on the horse where I can just relax and react to what the horse does.”

Kiser said he’s seen some success during his time in the PRCA, but the greatest accomplishment to him is outside of the arena as a spokesperson for the Oral Cancer Foundation.

“It’s just been a crazy experience to be a part of the Oral Cancer Foundation and help out with the message that they try to get out there,” Kiser said. “That’s one of the things I’m really proud of.

“There’s been some rodeo wins here and there over the years, but being a part of that is something I’ll never forget.”

Kiser said he became involved with the Oral Cancer Foundation through a classmate at the University of Nevada, Reno.

“Her sister works for the Oral Cancer Foundation and they were looking for a cowboy that didn’t smoke or chew,” Kiser said. “I ended up talking to the founder Brian Hill and one thing led to another and it’s just been a great partnership ever since then.

“It just kind of fell into my lap. I’m just the luckiest guy in the world really.”

Kiser said he’s never personally experienced a family member having to go through a battle with cancer, but credits the way he was raised as to why he decided to take part in this cause.

“I grew up in a family that instilled into me that you don’t want to smoke or chew and if you want to make it far in this game, you got to be an athlete so I just never did that.”

Cody Kiser and Carly Twisselman each aim to show rodeo fans, particularly the younger ones, chewing or using other forms of smokeless tobacco isn’t what makes them who they are. They promote the Foundation’s campaign which uses the slogan “Be Smart. Don’t Start.”

Their approach is anything but confrontational or aggressive. Rather than encouraging people to quit, they hope to encourage young fans to never pick up the habit in the first place. And where some rely on statistics to make the point, Kiser and Twisselman take a different approach. Simply giving attention to young rodeo fans is a big part of getting their message across.

“Its not the facts that they’re going to take home,” Kiser says. “Everybody knows that tobacco’s bad; you can get cancer and you can die. But the biggest impact that I see is just acknowledging those kids or acknowledging those people in the audience that want to know more, and you can show them what you can do without tobacco.”

“I’m not out there to tell anybody how to live their life or preach to them about needing to quit,” Kiser says.

“It’s not our place to do that,” Twisselman says. “People most of the time aren’t going to listen when you tell them something like that anyway.”

The pair will be wearing Oral Cancer Foundation gear and handing out buttons, wristbands and bandanas bearing campaign messaging.

As they travel the rodeo circuit, Kiser and Twisselman each say they often see other riders use various types of smokeless tobacco such as chew and snuff.

“It’s very common,” says Kiser. “You see it everywhere.”

“One of my traveling partners, he started when he was in high school. He was just around it all the time,” says Kiser. “It was just the ‘cowboy’ thing to do, I guess.”

“A lot of people are very respectful about it,” Twisselman says. “They’ll see me in my shirt and be like ‘oh yeah, you represent the Oral Cancer Foundation’ and they’ll spit their chew out. I think that in itself is a positive side effect of it.”

“I think a large part of a lot of these cowboys is, it’s the cowboy thing to do, so they start doing it,” Kiser says. “And that’s where I want to step in and show the younger generation that you don’t have to chew to be a cowboy. You can be a cowboy athlete and not chew and treat your body as best you can, because what we do is very difficult and it’s hard on the body.”

“A lot of folks started when they young,” Kiser says. “And I’ve talked to guys who started chewing later in life and they can’t quit, or it’s hard for them. It’s a vicious thing.”

*This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

Carly Twisselman, a spokesperson with the Oral Cancer Foundation’s rodeo outreach program, and her horse Chanel travel the Western rodeo circuit and talk with kids about the dangers of using spit tobacco. Photo by Stewart M. Green

Carly Twisselman brushed her horse Chanel outside a stall at the Norris-Penrose Event Center, home of the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo, which will roll into town July 13-16. “I’ve been rodeoing my whole life,” she said. “Now I do it at the professional level. This is my rookie year so I’m going really hard. I want to win the rookie title.”

Summer is the busiest time of the year for cowgirls and cowboys. “We call it Cowboy Christmas, the 4th of July run,” she said. Twisselman and her travel partner have recently competed in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and just drove up from Pecos, Texas, to Colorado Springs for qualifiers. “It’s a crazy time,” she said. “Lots of traveling, but lots of money to be won.”

Twisselman, a 30-year-old barrel racer, grew up on a ranch near San Luis Obispo on the central California coast. “My family’s been ranching there for seven generations,” she said. “I was on the back of a horse all the time. I was riding before I could walk.”

While growing up in the Western ranching and rodeo culture, Twisselman was aware of the widespread use of spit tobacco by cowboys. “I’ve been around it my whole life and seen a lot of things that were negative and I was affected by it.”

Rodeo and tobacco have a long history together. Starting in 1986, the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company sponsored the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association until the association ended its partnership with tobacco advertisers in 2009. Tobacco use, however, still thrives with cowboys and spectators at rodeos.

In 2014, the Oral Cancer Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports prevention, education and research of oral cancer, reached out to pro rodeo athletes to spread the word about the dangers of tobacco use, with Cody Kiser, a bareback bronc rider, as their first rodeo spokesperson. This past year they added Carly Twisselman to continue creating awareness in the rodeo community.

“Honestly, it was God that they came to me,” said Twisselman. “Their goal was to reach rodeo people, people in the Western culture and people that were horse lovers because tobacco is a huge problem in rodeo.” The foundation asked Twisselman to be a spokesperson and she gladly accepted. “It’s an amazing thing to represent such a great organization. I can take this rodeo platform where I’m in front of thousands of people and use it for good.” While the Oral Cancer Foundation wants to help adults with tobacco problems, its rodeo focus is on children. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9.9 percent of high school-age boys use spit tobacco nationwide, while 10.5 percent of men ages 18-25 use it. Usage is higher in rural states like Wyoming, Montana and West Virginia. A can of spit tobacco packs as much nicotine as 40 cigarettes, and a 30-minute chew is like smoking three cigarettes, making addiction to spit tobacco one of the hardest to break. Spit tobacco, including smokeless tobacco, dip, snuff, chew and chewing tobacco, can cause gum disease, tooth decay and oral cancer. Almost 50,000 people will be diagnosed with oral cancer in 2016.

“We aren’t telling people they should stop,” Twisselman said, “but we show people why it’s not good to use tobacco. If someone is chewing, I’m not going to go lecture them.”

Twisselman and Kiser focus on helping kids make positive choices about tobacco use. “Kids look up to us as idols and if they see us doing good and not chewing tobacco then maybe they won’t either,” Twisselman said. “Our message is: ‘Be Smart, Don’t Start.’”

Twisselman also attends junior rodeos where she hands out wristbands, bandanas, pins, and buttons. “Kids love the freebies,” she said. She also wears Oral Cancer Foundation logos on her competition shirts.

Surprisingly, some rodeo women chew tobacco. “It’s not the problem it is with the men,” Twisselman said, “but I do see it. I find it really repulsive. Sometimes women who chew will see me and say, “Oh, you work with oral cancer” and they’ll take their chew out and throw it away because they don’t want to be disrespectful to me.”

Twisselman said she and Kiser are making a difference, noting people are becoming more educated about the dangers of throat cancer from chewing tobacco and learning that it’s not a healthy habit. “We’ve only been doing this for a year now and we’re still getting our feet wet,” she said. “It’s hard to know if fewer kids are chewing now but I’m getting the word out and interacting with them. Because we take the time to talk with kids and give them the little gifts, it has a huge impact on them.”

To learn more about oral cancer and its prevention, medical research, education and for patient support, then visit oralcancer.org.

*This news story was resourced by the Oral Cancer Foundation, and vetted for appropriateness and accuracy.

SALT LAKE CITY — Oral cancer is becoming an epidemic in the U.S., and has been in the news in the last year with the loss of major league baseball hall-of-famer, Tony Gwynn, who died at 54 from smokeless tobacco use.

Rodeo has a historic tie to smokeless tobaccos, and Oral Cancer Foundation, has teamed up with Bareback Rider Cody Kiser to draw awareness to, and prevent, this growing epidemic where it thrives – the rodeo circuit.

Smokeless/spit tobacco is one of the historic causes of deadly oral cancers, and is more addictive than other forms of tobacco use.

The nonprofit is seeking to spread awareness of oral cancer and the dangers of starting terrible tobacco habits. While others are focused on getting users to quit, The Oral Cancer Foundation is reaching out to young people to not pick up the habit that they may see one of their rodeo “heroes” engage in.

Their message is simple, “Be Smart. Don’t Start.”

With the strong addictive powers of smokeless tobacco, the foundation and Kiser aim to engage fans early.

At the rodeos, Kiser will be solely wearing OCF logos and wording, while handing out buttons, wristbands and bandanas with the campaign messaging on them. The bareback rider hopes this will make him an alternative positive role-model for the adolescent age group whose minds are so easily molded.

“It’s something I’ve always been passionate about, so when I got into the partnership with OCF, it was no big deal to be able to say ‘I don’t smoke or chew, never have, and it’s easy not to,'” Kiser said.

Kiser added it all starts with kids.

“Most of these guys I ride with started smoking and chewing in sixth or seventh grade,” he said. “So, if we can get to those kids now, and tell them ‘you don’t have to do this to be cool or be a cowboy’ and show them what you can do without it.”

In an environment where smokeless and spit tobacco is prevalent, cowboy, Cody Kiser, says he feels like the luckiest guy in the world to represent the Oral Cancer Foundation.

He told us, “I just happened to be in a class with a classmate. Their sister works for the oral cancer foundation…one thing led to another and they said we’ve been looking for a cowboy that doesn’t smoke or chew and we’d love to be able to work out some kind of deal where we help you out you help us out…now I’m here.”
Although Cody has not been personally affected by the cancer, he wears a special patch on his shirt to raise awareness for the deadly disease.

He said, “I’m very lucky that I haven’t had any family members or friends be affected by oral cancer. I’ve made friends with people that have been now and it’s a real eye opener.”

Since partnering with the oral cancer foundation, he works hard to promote this message: “Be smart don’t start…we want to get out to the kids and fans who haven’t smoking or chewing yet.”

Cody says the best part about working for the oral cancer foundation is serving as a role model for children. He told us, “You can be an elite athlete and an amazing cowboy without having to smoke or chew. That’s our goal is to get to those kids before they do that. I just want to be a good role model for these kids.”

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 10, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — At the recent Global Oral Cancer Forum (GOCF), Brian R. Hill, Executive Director and Founder of the Oral Cancer Foundation (OCF), was honored for his work as an advocate and innovative thinker in the oral cancer arena. The GOCF organizers and community awarded Hill the 2016 Global Oral Cancer Forum Commitment, Courage and Innovation Leadership Award for his dedication and contributions to the field of oral cancer over the last 18 years. Upon accepting the award, Hill received a standing ovation from those in attendance, which included global oral cancer thought leaders, researchers, treatment physicians, other non-profit organizations and representatives from various government agencies, including the National Institutes of Health / National Cancer Institute, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

When asked about being honored Hill said, “In the beginning and for many years I was alone at OCF and it was just the seed of an idea. Those grassroots efforts matured into a robust network of important relationships with a common goal. Today OCF is so much more than just me and my singular efforts. Through the benevolence of the many OCF supporters, particularly in the RDH, dental/medical professional communities and survivor groups, OCF has grown into a powerful national force for proactive change of the late discovery paradigm, access to quality information, disease and patient advocacy, funding of research, and patient support.” Hill acknowledges that he had the mentorship of some of the brightest minds of the non-profit world to build his understanding of appropriate governorship of an entity such as OCF, as well as support from core researchers and treatment professionals in the oral cancer arena. “To paraphrase someone far more famous, if I was able to see farther than others had going before me, it was because I stood on the shoulders of many highly accomplished others who helped me achieve my goals,” says Hill.

Hill, a stage four oral cancer survivor, became a student of the disease after his own diagnosis left him looking for answers. Since founding OCF and overseeing the path and initiatives of the foundation for more than a decade and a half, Hill often finds the advocacy role suits him well. He has championed anti-tobacco legislation within the political system, and is an advocate at various government entities such as the CDC regarding vaccination of boys against the virus known to be the primary cause of most oropharyngeal cancers. He also sits on two National Institutes of Health (NIH) oversight committees—one at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which oversees clinical trials in immunotherapies in head and neck cancers, the other at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) reviewing trials looking at long-term outcomes and complications of treatment in head and neck cancers. In addition, Hill still one-on-one counsels patients, participates in OCF’s online Patient Support Forum, and is often the voice for a community that has lost its own, through many diverse media interviews and lectures.

While OCF has received many awards for its advocacy work and contributions to the battle against oral cancer, including recognition from the NIH/NIDCR, WHO, Great Non-Profits, various universities and professional medical and dental societies, and even Internet guru Mashable.com for innovations in applying technology to serve its health oriented goals, receiving recognition from this forums organizers and some of the leading authorities on oral cancer in the international community is particularly meaningful. Those in attendance are recognized as experts in the field and understand the challenges and importance of the work OCF has undertaken. Sponsored by the Henry Schein Cares Foundation, the benevolent arm of the powerful Henry Schein Inc., known for its long-term commitment to improve issues related to oral care, The Global Oral Cancer Forum’s vision is to build partnerships that will promote the changes required for a substantial impact on the incidence, morbidity, and mortality of oral cancer worldwide. The importance of the Schein organization’s leadership in creating this venue cannot be overstated.

Top oral cancer experts and advocates from around the world, representing countries as far away as Japan, China, and India as well as from the Americas, convened over the weekend to attend the inaugural forum. Attendees included clinicians, scientists, epidemiologists, activists, public health experts, as well as OCF Directors and other NPO organization heads who are working hard to find impactful avenues to reduce the global oral cancer burden. Attendees met to exchange ideas and learn from one another about what is and isn’t working in the global realm of this disease. Delegates from thirty-three countries presented new research findings and discussed their unique challenges and approaches to understanding and addressing one of the leading burdens of the cancer world.

Globally, the incidence rate for oral cancer is growing and has reached what many experts are calling epidemic proportions. This year approximately half a million patients will be newly diagnosed with an oral or oropharyngeal cancer. Among the topics discussed by GOCF panelists were the rise in disease incidence and the regional disparities and factors affecting global populations. Communities throughout much of South East Asia report a high percentage of the population chewing betel and areca nut, a significant risk factor for the development of oral cancer. Meanwhile in the U.S. and other developed countries the prevalence of the HPV virus is the leading contributor to the rising rates of oropharyngeal cancers. Identifying these differences is vital to the development of effective prevention, public policy, and treatment strategies. Advancement of a universal understanding of what the problems are and what initiatives are working around the globe, reveals commonalities, and within them the group will find its beginning joint efforts to effect change.

Looking forward there is clearly much work to be done. The good news is that there are significant strides being made in research and treatment; but balancing those positives, there are also significant shortcomings in current governmental policies, prevention, and public awareness and understanding. Hill said, “While I and OCF are very proud to have been chosen by the organizers, and the global oral cancer community to receive this award, it only serves to motivate us to strive to accomplish more. We have built relationships here that will translate into new avenues of endeavor for OCF in the future.” Jamie O’Day, OCF’s Director of Operations, also attended the conference and spent her time networking with her counterparts from around the world. Many new ideas were garnered from these discussions that will be applied in future OCF initiatives and support OCF’s mission to reduce the suffering caused by this disease both nationally and globally.

About the Oral Cancer Foundation:The Oral Cancer Foundation, founded by oral cancer survivor Brian R. Hill, is an IRS registered non-profit 501(c)(3) public service charity that provides vetted information, patient support, sponsorship of research, as well as disease and risk factor reduction advocacy related to oral cancer. Oral cancer is the largest group of those cancers that fall into the head and neck cancer category. Common names for it include such things as mouth cancer, tongue cancer, tonsil cancer, head and neck cancer, and throat cancer. The Oral Cancer Foundation maintains the websites: www.oralcancer.org , www.oralcancernews.org , www.oralcancersupport.org , which receive millions of hits per month. Supporting the foundation’s goals is a scientific advisory board composed of leading cancer authorities from varied medical and dental specialties, and from prominent educational, treatment, and research institutions in the United States. The foundation also manages the Bruce Paltrow Oral Cancer Fund, a collaboration between the Paltrow family represented by Ms. Blythe Danner (Paltrow), Gwyneth Paltrow, Jake Paltrow and the Oral Cancer Foundation.